Wire-bound-box machine.



JOHN HAYS BIRCH L JOHN HENRY BIRCH.

WIRE BOUND BOX MACHINE, APPLwATloN FILED JUNE2o,1910.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

G SHBETSSHBET 1.

JOHN HAYS BIRCH L JOHN HENRY BIRCH. WIRE BOUND BOX MACHNE.

APPL10AT10N MLED JUNBzo,1Q1o.

1,107, 1 92. Patented Aug. 11, 1914 6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN HAYS BIRCH n JOHN HENRY BIRCH. WHW; BOUND BOX MACHINE. ,iPLlcATLoN FILED JUNE-0,1910.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JOHN HAYS BIRCH L JOHN HENRY BIRCH,

WIRE BOUND BOX MACHINE. MPLwATIoN FILED JUNBzo, 19m.

l 1 O7, 1 92 Patented Aug.

JOHN HAYS BIRCH L JOHN HENRY BIRCH. WIRE BOUND BOX MACHINE.

APPLICATION FLLBD JUNBzo,1910.

1,107,192, Patented Aug. 11, 1914 6 SHEBTSSHBET 5,

M l V @um n You,

JOHN HAYS BIRCH & JOHN HENRY BIRCH. WIRE BOUND BOX MACHINE.

APPLICATION MLBD JUNE zo, 1910.

1,107,1 92. Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

6 SHEETSSHEBT 6.

unites sfrafrss .Pa -Nr Aerica.

JOHN HAYS BIRLH AND JOHN HENRY BIRCH, OF CR-AIVFORDSVILLE, INDIANA, AS.- SIGNORS TO GREENSTREET FOLDING BOX MACHINE COMPANY, OF CRAVJFORDY VILLE, INDIANA', A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

WIRE-BOUND-BOX MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

T all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it-kncwnthat we, Jeux HAYS Bmcn and JOHN 'HENRY BIRCH, vcitizens of the United States, residing at Crawfordsville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Indiana, have invented la new4 and useful Wire-Bound-Boa Machine, of which the fol-` lowing is a specification.

The object ofV our invention is to produce an improved machine for the continuous` production of wire-bound box blanket with 'sectional detail of the spacer Wheel and the' Ale out the use of loose spacer blocks.

The accompanying drawings illustrate our invention. v

Figure 1v is ia plan of a vmachine'embodying ourv invention; Fig. 2 aV side elevation; Fig.- 3 a longitudinal section on a larger scale; Fig. (l a'plan of the cleat-feeding and spacinr mechanism; Fig. 5 an elevation o' parts shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 a horizontal gearing for driving the said .wheel which lies. between the interrupter and thespacedcleat rfeeder chain; Fig'. 7 a plan of the sheet gage'and adjacent'parts; Fig. 8 an elevation ofthe sheet Gage; Fig. 9 a fragmentary ele-.Q cleats and the insertedk 'sheet gage; Fig. 10 `a section on line 10-10' vation of acent of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; Fig. 11 section on line 11--11 of Fig. l, Figs. 12-

and 13 details of the manner of association of the rot-ary spacer.with the cleats, and Fig. '14 an enlarged section-on line 14-14 ot'Fig. 3. y

Infthedrawings, indicates a suitable supporting frameA provided'Y with a l stapling anvil 21 and stapling heads 22of ordinary or any desired construction. Extending be-l neath tlie'stapling heads across anvil 21'are cleats and sheetguides 23, 28 one of which 1 maybe adjustable toward and from the other in a well-known manner. Associated with each cleat guideZ- is a feeding chain 24 which is Given; a step-hystep movement in any suitable manne-r in order to cause the cleats engaged thereby to Vbe moved stepbystep beneath the stapling'heads across the. anvil Q1. In the .present-construction the feeding chain extends across' the stapling plane so that the cleats'are' positively engaged thereby' before they reachpthe stapling plane and are carried by thesev feed. chains beyond the staplingA plane Itis desirable however that some means lie'provided by which cleat-s may be readily shifted longitudinally of the chain in order to perfect a spacing thereof in case of cleats being fed in improper sequence, etc., and therefore beceusein practice we found in usingthis particular typel of spur chainthat-the links of the chain 24 were brought into engage ment with the cleats in such'inanner as. to

tend to cause the cleats to gradually creep i forward on the chain and thus destroy the spaced relation 'between said cleat and thex Vimmediately preceding cleat. This feed roll howeyer can be eliminated entirely by using' s'ome other spaced-cleat carrier that will not 'tend to change the spacing. The feed roll 32 is carried by the upper end of the vertical shaftA 33 immediately preceding the receiving end of the chain 24, being placed as Patented Aug. 11, 19112..l

Application med June 20, i910. serial No. 568,037.

close aspossible to'that point and rotated at aspeed 'equal to the forward speed of the chain 9A by means of a train of-gears 35 connected to the shaft 36 which carries the sprocket wheel 87 over which the'chain 24 passes at its receiving end. The cleats 3l. are delivered to theV feed roll32 in a continuous stream by means of a constantly runnin chain belt 38 upon which the cleats rest an arranged betweenl this feed belt 38 and the feed roll 32is an interruptor linger 4l which is adapted t6-'intermittently project into the path'jof moyement. of the cleats seas-tc interrupt-their passage tothe feed rolls 32. This interru' ter finger. 4l may conveniently be made a piece of bar 'tool steel;adjustably clamped' between fingers 42 of 'an arm 48 seclired to the upper end of a .vertical shaft i4 provided at its lowerend withanarni 45 the purposeofwhich will appear. vThe interriip'ternger'all is constantly urged in the direction or" projection" intotlief path o mm'feinent of the cleats by a light spring 49." Where theadjacentfends of two cleats 3l are of such character that they' can closely matex when lying in the cleat guide 23 we find it advisable to form the rear end of each cleat with a notch 47. Arranged closely adjacent the receiving end of each chain 24 is a rotary spacer wheel 51 provided with a plurality of spacing fingers 52 adapted to be projected into the path of travel of the cleats, coming up into that path to the rear of each cleatv immediately before an oncoming cleat is projected far enoughto come within the control of the chain 24. One ofthese spacer wheels is provided for each cleat guide and both of the spacer wheels are rotatively secured to a shaft 53 which is continuously under a yielding driving force obtained a suitable friction train extending from the main drive shaft 56. The driving force applied to shaft 53 is of speed sufficient to cause the pins 52 to move at a speed considerably greater than the regular feed of the cleats but is comparatively light, so that any pin 52 coming into engagement with the under side of a cleat will arrest the forward rotation of the-wheel.

The usual lbox blank to be produced by our machine will comprise four portions or sides and consequently each wheel 51 is pro vided with three pins 52 and a somewhat elongated flange 57 the purpose of which will appear. Carried by each wheel 51 are several cams 58, one foreach pin 52 and one for the flange 57 so arranged as to engage arm 45 and withdraw interrupter 41 from the path of movement of the cleats immediately after one of the pins 52 or the rear end of flange 57 enters the path of movement of the cleats.

We find it desirable, in order to insure the prompt delivery of the cleats' to the cleat feeders 32 and 24 immediately upon-their release by the interrupter 41, to provide a feeder coperating witg the belt 38. For this purpose we arrange, above the cleat guides 23, a. shaft 61- which is. constantl driven by means of a suitable belt 62. Sha G1 is provided adjacent each cleat guide with a gear 63. Pivoted on the shaft (31 adjacent each gear 63 is an arm-.64 in the outer end of which is-journaled a shaft 65 carrying a frictpn disk G6 and a serratedfeeding wheel 67, the said feeding wheel lying immediately above the cleat guide 23 and adapted to engage the upper surface of the cleats. Journaled upon disk 66 is a gear 68 meshing with gear 63 and engaging the friction disk. Gear 68 is held against the friction disk by means of a spring 69 the tension of which may be controlled by an adjustable collar 71 mounted on the hub of disk 66. After the cleats have been spaced and are retained in that spaced relation by the chain 24, it is necessary to provide some means coperating with the spaced cleats, for determining the location of the sheets 75. Ve therefore p rovide, adjacent each cleat guide 23, a carrier 81 which is movable longitudinally of the cleat guide from a position in front of the stapling heads 22 to a position to the rear of said heads so that this carriage is capable of crossing the stapling plane. The carriage is normally drawn to its forward position, in front of the stapling plane, by means of a weight 82, or other suitable yielding means. Mounted upon carrier 81 is a gage finger 83 laterally projectable from said carrier in any suitable manner but preferably'in a line at right angles to the line vof movement of the cleats. We therefore mount finger 83 upon the ends of a. pair of parallel-motion links 84 which are pivoted upon the carrier 81 and normally urged in one direction by a spring 85. Finger 83 is provided with a roller or abutment 8G adapted to be engaged by a. stationary cam 87 arranged at the rear end of carrier 81, the Cam 87 thus serving to eX- tract the gage finger 83 from between the cleats. Finger 83 carries an upwardly projected tongue 88 which serves as a spacing gage to determine the relationshipjof the sheet to the cleats.

The operation is as follows: Chains 38 are constantly driven at a comparatively hio'h rate of speed and shaft G1 is also constanty driven at such speed as to cause the feed wheels 67 to rotate at a speed corresponding with the speed of chains 38. Shaft 53 is under ar constant, but yielding driving force so that wheels 51 will rotate at a comparatively high rate of speed so long as that rotation is not interrupted by obstructing cleats. Shaft 53 is provided with a hand wheel 53 by means of which it may be readily turned so as to bring the rear end of flange 57 into position (for first starting of machine) where it will be engaged by an oncoming cleat just before that cleat is en- Vgaged by the wheel 32. It is to b. a e ,i that the two spacer wheels 51 are po vely rotatably connected with the shaft so that neither of these wheels can move n ui the other although one is splined on i@ shaft for adjustment with its lcleat g The cleats can be fed by one boy.- l' position of the spaced wheels 51 on r cams 58 has passed arm 45 so as to raw the interrupter 41 and permita cleat to be driven into engagement with the feed roller 32 and be by it driven forwardly into engagement with chain 24. In the meantime cleats arranged in proper sequences have been des livered by chains 38 and the feed wheels 67 immediately behind the oncoming cleat which is entered under control of the feed wheel 32 and chain 24. .Immediately there-s after the forward cleat enters under the control of chain 24 and wheels 5l are rotated until the first finger 52 comes up into engagement with the under surface' of the forward 'cleat vwhereupon further lforward movement of the wheels 51 is temporarily ment of the forward end of the next following cleat so reaches the interrupter finger its further.

that when that second cleatl progress is prevented. Thereupon gear 68;

slides on its clutch disk 66 so that the feeding movement of the disk 67 is arrested although chain 38 continues to move but, of course. has no driving effect upon the cleats except to bring up those cleats which mayy havc'been deposited on the chain by the,

cleat feeding operatives. As soon as the rear end of the first cleat passes the first finger Y shaftv 53 may again rotate (provided the first cleat of the other cleat guide has similarly advanced) so as t0 project the finger 52 up into the cleat guide behind the rear end of the first cleat. One of the cams 58 comes into engagement with arm 45 so as to retract the interruptor finger 41 from in front of the succeeding cleat and thereupon chain 38 and the feeding disks 67 very promptly cooperate to drive the interrupted cleat forwardly into engagement with aspacing pin 52 and thence into engagement with the feed roller 32 and this feed roller delivers the new cleat to a chain 24. The new cleat is thus definitely spaced with relation to the first cleat.. At this time the first finger has advanced with the advancing cleats and has been withdrawn from between the spaced cleats, whereupon shaft 53 serves to rapidly advance the spacer wheels 51 until the second finger 52 comes up into engagement with the under side of the second cleat where it is arrested until the rear end of the second cleat passes to a position beyond the second finger 52 whereupon this second finger is projected into the path of the cleats, the interruptcr finger is again withdrawn, and the operation proceeds as described.

vlien the spaced cleats reach a point somewhere about the stapling plane it is neces`- sary to provide soule means to serve as a gage by means of which the controlling operativc may place the sheets in proper relation to the cleats and it is for this purpose that the gage fingers are provided, these gage fingers being projected laterally into the space between the two cleats as soon as that place reaches a position opposite the initial position of said fingers.I As soon as this projection takes place the carriage 81 will be moved along with the cleats, against the action of weight 82, and the controlling operative may place the forward edge of the sheet 75 up against the projecting tongue 88 of finger 83 shoving forwardly on the sheet so as to Acause it to travel beneath the stapling heads with the cleats until an initial staple has been driven into the sheet, after which time the cleats will themselves` draw the sheet forwardly with them. After the first one of the staples has been driven roller 8G comes into engagement with cam 87 and the cam serves to withdraw the gage finger 83 from beneath the cleats and sheets and as soon as this withdrawal takes place weight 82 causes carriage 81 to return to its initial position, the free end of the gage finger 83 dragging along the outside face of tlaejeleat and continuing to drag upon that facetas the cleat advances until the rear end of the cleat comes opposite the finger whereupon said gage finger is again projected between that cleat and the next succeeding cleat, which has been properly spaced therefrom by the action of the spacer wheels 51 and the operation is repeated indefinitely and automatically. The interrupter, feed roll 32, spacer 51, gear 37 and associated parts are conveniently carried bv a plate 91 which may be readily removed in case of accident to permit the insertion of a similar unit without great loss of time.

ive claim as our invention:

1. In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat guide, cleat-feeding means for positively feeding simultaneously a plurality of spaced cleats along said guide, stapling mechanism arranged to operate upon such cleats while under control of the cleat-feeder, and a cleat-spacer arranged at the entrance end of the cleat-feeder, said cleat-spacer being movable into coperative relation between a cleat under the control of the cleatfeeder and a cleat not yet under the control of the cleatfeeder, and withdrawable from between said cleats after the second cleat has passed under control of the cleatefeeder.

2. In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat guide, cleat-feeding means for positively feeding simultaneously a plurality of spaced cleats along said guide, stapling mechanism arranged to operate upon such cleats while under control of the cleat-feeder, and a cleat-spacer arranged at the entrance end of the cleat-feeder. said cleat-spacer being automatically movable into coperative relation between a cleat under the control of the cleat-feeder and a cleatnot vet under the control of the cleat-feeder, and automatically withdrawable from between said cleats after the second cleat has passed under control of the cleat-fceder.

3. In a lookY blank machine` the combination of a cleat guide, cleat-feeding means for positively feeding simultaneously a plurality of spaced cleats along said guide, stapling mechanism arranged to operate upon such cleats while under control of the cleat-feeder',

a cleat-spacer arranged at the entrance end of the cleat-feeder, said cleat spacer being movable into coperative relation between a n cleat under the control of the cleat-feeder N0 and a cleat not yet under the control of the cleat-feeder, and withdrawable from between said cleats after the second cleat has passed under control of the cleat-feeder, a preliminary cleat-feeder delivering to said spacer, an interrupter arranged to intermittentlv interrupt the cleats in the preliminary cleatfeeder to permit placing of the cleat-spacer, and means controlled by the cleat-spacer for intermittently withdrawing the interrupter.

4.*In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat-guide, cleat-feeding means for positively feeding simultaneously a plurality of cleats along said guide, stapling mechanism arranged to operate upon suoli cleats while under the control of the cleat-feeder, a cleat-spacer arranged at the entrance end of the cleat-feeder, said cleat-spacer being automatically movable into cooperative relation between a cleat under the control of the cleat-feeder and a cleat not yet under the control of the cleat-feeder, and automatically Withdrawable from between said cleats after the second cleat has passed under the control of the cleat-feeder, a preliminary cleat-feeder delivering to said spacer, an interruptor arranged to intermittently interrupt thc cleats in the preliminary cleat-feeder to permit placing of the cleat-spacer, and means contnolled by the cleat-spacer' for intermittently withdrawing the intei'rupter.

5. In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat guide, a cleat-feeder for positively feeding siniiiltaiieously a plurality of spaced cleats along said guide, stapling mechanism arranged to operate upon such cleats While under the control of the cleat feeder, a cleat spacer arranged at the entrance of'the cleat-feeder, said cleat-spacer movable into cooperative relation between a cleat under the control of the cleat-feeder and a cleat not yet under the control of the cleat-feeder, and witlidrawable from between said cleats after said second clcat has passed under the control of the cleat-feeder, a sheet gage arranged adjacent the line of travel of the spaced cleats and projectable into the space between adjacent spaced cleats, and means for withdrawing said sheet gage and returning the same to initial position.

(.v In a box blank machine. the combination of a cleat guide, a cleat-feeder for positively feeding simultaneously a plurality of spaced cleats along said guide, a rotary cleat-spacer arranged adjacent the receiving end of the cleat-feeder and Aprovided `with a plurality of cleat-spacing portions adapted to be brought into successive operative position.

7. In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat guide, a cleat-feeder for positively feeding simultaneously a plurality of lspaced cleats along said guide, a rotary cleat-spacer arrangedadjacent the receiving end of the cleat-feeder and provided with a plurality of cleat-spacing portions adapted to be brought into successive operative position, and means for yieldingly urging said cleat-spacer in one direction against the cleats.

8. In a box blank machine, the combination of two cleat guides, a cleat-feeder for positively feedinfr simultaneously a plurality of spaced. c eat-s along each of said guides, a rotary cleat-spacer arranged adjacent the receiving end of each cleat-feeder and provided with a plurality of cleat-spacing portions adapted to be brought into suecessive operative positions, positive connections between the two spacers for insuring simultaneous movement.

9. ,In a box blank machine, the combination of two cleat guides, a cleat-feeder for positively feeding simultaneously a plurality of spaced cleats along each of said guides, a rotary cleat-spacer arranged adjacent the receiving end of each cleat-feeder and provided with a plurality of cleat-spacing portions adapted to be brought into successi-ve operative positions, positive connections between the two spacers for insuring simultaneous movement, and means for yieldingly rotating said spacers.

10. In a box blank machine, the combination with a cleat guide, of a spacer movable into. out of and along said guide, a cleat feeder delivering to said spacer, an interrupter arranged between the feeder and spacer and movable into and out of the cleat path. and means controlled by the spacer for intermittently withdrawing the interrupter l'roin the cleat path.

11. The combination with a guide through which articles may pass, of a rotary spacing member having'a portion projeetable into, out of and along the guide, and having a portion adapted to engage each article as iI travels through the guide to arrest the rotary movement of the spacing member, and means for yieldingly rotating said spacing member.

12. In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat guide, cleat-feeding means for positively feeding simultaneously a plurality of spaced cleats along said guide, and a cleat spacer arranged at the entrance end of the cleat feeder, said cleat spacer being movable into coperative relation between a cleat under the control of the cleat feeder and a cleat not yet under the control of the cleat feeder and withdrawable from between said cleatsl after the second cleat has passed under the control of the cleat feeder.

13. In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat guide, cleat-feedingmeans for positively feeding simultaneously a plurality of spaced cleats along said guide, and a cleat spacer arranged at the entrance end of the cleat feeder, said cleat spacer being automatically moved into cooperative relation between a cleat under the control of the cleat feederand a cleat not yet under the control of the cleat feeder, and automatically wthdrawable from between said cleats after the second cleat has passed under the control of the cleat feeder.

14. In a box blank machine, the combination of staplng mechanism, cleat guides extending transversely through the staplng plane, and a rotary cleat spacer arranged adjacent each cleat guide in front of the staplng plane, said cleat s acer having a portion projectable, by rotation of the cleatA spacer, into the cleat guide.

15. In a box blank machine, the combination of staplng mechanism, cleat guides extending transversely through the staplng plane, a rotary cleat spacer arranged adjacent each cleat guide in front o the staplng plane, each cleat spacer havin a portion projectable, by rotation of t e cleat spacer, into the cleat guide, means for driving thekcleats through their guides, and

- means vfor rotating the cleat spacer.

16. In a box blank machine, the combination of staplng mechanism, cleat guides extending transversely through the staplng plane, a rotary cleat spacer arranged adjacent each cleat guide and rovidedwith a plurality of spacing mem ers rojectable successively into the adjacent clsat guide, one of said spacing members having a greater extent than the adjacent spacing member, and each of said spacin members formed to lie against a passing c eat and be restrained thereby, yieldm means for intermittently rotating the c eat spacer, and means for driving the cleats through the cleat guides.

17. In a box blankl machine, the combination of staplng mechanism, cleat guides extending transversely through the staplng plane, a rotary cleat spacer arranged adjacent each cleat guide and providedwith a,

V provided with a plane, a rotary cleat spacer arranged adjacent each cleat guide and )rovided with a plurality of spacing mem ers rojectable successively into the adjacent c eat ide, one of said spacing members having a greater extent than the adjacent spacing member, and means for driving the cleats through the cleat guides.

19. In a box blank machine, the combination of staplng mechanism, cleat guides extending transvcrsely through the staplng plane and a rotary cleat spacer arrange adjacent each cleat guide and provided with a pluralit of spacing members projectable successively into the adjacent cleat guide, one of said spacing members having a greater extent than the' adjacent spacing member.

20. In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat ber arranged a jacent the cleat guide and provided witla plurality of cleat spacing ortions arranved for successive projection mto and withdrawal from the cleat guide, means for yieldingly urging' said member in one direction to project its cleat spacing portions successively into the cleat guide,

whereby projecting movement of the cleat spacing member will be controlled by the passage of cleats through the cleat guide, and means other than the cleat spacing member-'dior driving the cleats through the cleat i e. gu21. In a box blank machine, the combination of a cleat guide, a cleat spacing member arranged a jacent the cleat guide and luralityof cleat spacing ortions arran e for successive projection into and with rawal from the cleat guide, and means for yieldingly urging said member in one direction to project its cleat spacing ortions successive y into the cleat guide, w ereby projectin movement of the cleat spacing member wil be controlled by the passage of cleats throu h the cleat guide.

In witness whereof, we ave hereunto set our hands and seals at Crawfordsville, In-

JOHN HAYs BIRCH. [as] JoHN HENRY BIRCH. [1.. aj.4

Witnesses:

H. H. Ris'rmn, E. E. Ames. 

